HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud is the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. He is widely regarded as the Kingdom’s de facto ruler and principal architect of its current political, economic, and social transformation. He is often referred to in Western media as MBS.

Rise to Power: At the beginning of 2015, outside Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman was a relatively unknown prince. Following his father’s accession to the throne in January 2015, he was quickly elevated to a series of senior posts, including Minister of Defense and head of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs. In June 2017, he was named Crown Prince after King Salman removed Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. In September 2022, he was officially appointed Prime Minister, a position traditionally held by the King, further consolidating his domestic executive power.

The New Trilateral Defence Pact: On 7 August 2026, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan officially signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement at Al-Safa Palace. Signed under the executive direction of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the landmark treaty establishes a collective security framework in which an armed attack against any one member is treated as an attack on all. The agreement signals a profound structural shift away from historical reliance on traditional Western security guarantees, significantly deepening Saudi Arabia’s strategic and defence ties with two of the Muslim world’s leading military powers.

The Yemen Conflict and Diplomatic Fallout with the UAE: A central element of MBS’s foreign policy shifted from leading a 2015 military coalition in Yemen to seeking an exit track. However, the wider regional war shattered the informal truce. By October 2026, intense conflict was reignited, with deadly Houthi missile strikes hitting Riyadh’s airport and Aramco headquarters, triggering heavy retaliatory Saudi airstrikes.

Catalyst of Social Change: The Crown Prince has spearheaded sweeping reforms, easing restrictions on women to allow driving, independent travel, and full workforce integration. He has revitalised the cultural landscape by reopening cinemas, hosting major music festivals, and leading a landmark 2017 anti-corruption drive. Simultaneously, his Saudi Vision 2030 strategy has entered its final phase in 2026, aiming to permanently diversify the economy away from hydrocarbon dependency. Backed by the Public Investment Fund, this master plan drives futuristic gigaprojects like NEOM and Qiddiya while securing the hosting rights of the 2034 FIFA World Cup to cement Saudi Arabia’s global soft power.

Stance on the Gaza Genocide: MBS has repeatedly and strongly condemned military operations in Gaza as disproportionate and a form of "collective punishment". He has also explicitly reiterated that Saudi Arabia will not establish formal diplomatic normalization with Israel without an immediate cessation of hostilities and a clear, irreversible pathway toward an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"Our Vision is a tolerant country with Islam as its constitution and moderation as its method."

1 million jobs – Total tourism-related employment in the Kingdom successfully surpassed

115.9 million tourists annually